Protective device or button for hat-pins.



P. T. MERRILL.

PROTECTIVBDEVIGE 0R BUTTON FOR HAT PINS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1911.

1,054,706 Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

WITNESSES: I Q INVENTOR.

' A TTOR/VEY.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTDN, n. c.

PHINEAS T. MERRILL, OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

PROTECTIVE DEVICE 0R BUTTON FOR HAT-PINS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 1, 1911.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913. Serial No. 630,703.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, PHINEAS T. MERRHL, acitizen of the United States, residing in Leominster, in the county ofWorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inProtective Devices or Buttons for Hat-Pins, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a protective device or button for the pointedends of pins and especially hat pins, such as now commonly used.

The present invention has for its object to provide a simple,inexpensive and eflicient device or button for the purpose specified.

The particular features of this invention will be pointed out in theclaims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 represents the head of a lady wearing a hat provided with a hatpin having its pointed end protected by a button or device embodyingthis invention. Fig. 2, a view in plan of the button shown in Fig. 1,with parts broken away, and Fig. 3, a section on the line 33, Fig. 2.

The button or device comprises a body portion a of any suitable ordesired shape and provided with a socket Z) of substantially thediameter of the hat pin 0 for a portion of its length and preferablymade tapering at its inner end. The body portion a is also provided witha second socket (Z, preferably materially larger than the diameter ofthe socket b and shorter than the latter. The socket a3 is arranged withrelation to the socket b so as to communicate therewith, and in thepresent instance, the socket d cuts across or into the socket Z) toleave an open space connecting the two sockets and which is common toboth. The socket (Z is designed to receive a friction device, which maybe of any suitable material, but preferably a helical spring 6 ofsubstantially the diameter of the socket (Z, so as to fill the same andhave its outer circumference extend into the pin receiving socket Z), sothat when the pin 0 is inserted into its socket b, it will engage theouter circumference of the friction spring 6 and tend to crowd or pushthe same back into its socket cZ,'thereby creating suflicient trio tionto hold the protective device or button on the hat pin with suflicientforce under conditions of use, as represented in Fig. 3.

The body portion a of the button is pro-- vided in the present instancewith a ca provided with a flange 9, which frictionally engages the bodyportion, said cap serving to close the larger socket (Z and retain thespring 6 therein, and having an opening it through it, which registerswith the pin-receiving socket b and is provided with a bell shaped orflaring mouth piece 2' integral with the cap and serving to guide andcenter the button or device on the hat pin 0. I may prefer to employ ahelical spring as the friction agent, but it is not desired to limit theinvention in this respect, as cork, rubber or other material may beused. The sockets 6, (Z may be drilled in the button and by arrangingtheir centers with relation to each other, their circumferences mayintersect more or less, and thereby vary the width of the opening commonto both sockets, so that more or less of the friction device is capableof projecting into the pin-receiving socket to obtain the desired ornecessary frictional grip upon the pin. In the present instance, thesockets Z), (Z are shown as circular in cross-section and arrangedparallel to each other, but it is not desired to limit the invention tothis particular form of the sockets or to the particular arrangement ofthe same.

From the above description, it will be seen that the button orprotective device is simple, durable and can be made to be sold at aminimum price, which enables the device to be used with expensive andinexpensive hat pins.

The button Or device may be made plain or ornamental and of any desiredshape.

The friction device is capable of yielding laterally sutliciently toenable the protective device to be removed by the operator with one handand by pulling the protective device in the direction of the length ofthe pin.

Claims:

1. A protective device for the pointed ends of pins, comprising a solidbody portion having a central pin-receiving socket and a second socketlocated at one side of the center of said body and parallel with thepin-receiving socket and whose circumference intersects thecircumference of the pin-receiving socket, a helical spring 10- cated inthe second-mentioned socket and projecting into the pin-receiving socketto be engaged by the pin inserted into the pinreceiving socket andfrictionally grip the same, a cap detachable from said body portion andcovering the spring-containing socket to retain the spring therein andprovided with an opening which registers With the pin-receiving socketto guide the pin into the latter, said opening having a flaring mouth,substantially as described.

2. A protective device for the pointed ends of pins, comprising a solidbody portion having a cylindrical pin-receiving socket and a secondcylindrical socket parallel with the pin-receiving socket and having itscircumference intersecting the circumference of the pin-reiving socket,a yielding friction device located in the secondmentioned socket andprojecting into the pin-receiving socket to be engaged by the pininserted into the pin-receiving socket to retain the device on the pinand capable of yielding laterally to permit the device to be put on andremoved from thepin by the use of only one hand of the operator, a capdetachable from said body portion and covering the socket-containing thefriction device to retain it therein and having an opening whichregisters with the pin-receiving socket to guide the'pin into thelatter, substantially as described.

3. A protective device for the pointed ends of pins, comprising a solidbody portion having a cylindrical socket for the reception of the pinand extended but partially the length of the body portion, and a secondcylindrical socket of larger diameter than the pin receiving socket andparallel therewith and extended but partially the length of said bodyportion with its circumference intersecting the circumference of thepin-receiving socket, and a yielding friction device in said secondsocket and of substantially the diameter thereof to be supported by thewalls of the said socket and have a portion projected into thepin-receiving socket to engage the pin and frictionally hold theprotective device thereon, and capable of yielding laterally to permitthe device to be put on and removed from the pin by the use of only onehand of the operator, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

PHINEAS T. MERRILL.

\Vitnesses \VM. A. PUTNAM, FRANCES R. BURNS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G!

